I HAVE A FORD FLEX LIMITED 2009, THE TAILGATE CLOSES BY TOUCHING A BUTTON. WHEN CLOSING IT BEEPS. IF IT HITS SOMETHING IT IS SUPPOSE TO OPEN BACK UP. SIMILAR TO A GARAGE DOOR. MY 7 YEAR OLD CHILD DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS CLOSING AND WAS STRUCK BY THE DOOR, PUSHING HER TO THE GROUND CAUSING A BUMP ON HER HEAD. MEANWHILE, THE TAILGATE NEVER STOPPED CLOSING. I STOOD UNDER IT WITH MY HANDS OVER MY HEAD PUSHED THE BUTTON TO SEE HOW MUCH PRESSURE IT TAKES TO ACTIVATE THE SAFETY. THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE WAS AMAZING, IF MY 3 YEAR OLD HAD GOTTEN INBETWEEN THE TAILGATE CLOSING AND THE BUMPER IT WOULD OF DONE SOME MAJOR DAMAGE TO HIM. IT SHOULD HAVE A MORE SENSITIVE SAFETY MECHANISM. *TR
2011
STEERING
ON AUGUST 8, 2011 AND FEBRUARY 8, 2012, MY NEW FLEX SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED ON, AND THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF - TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE - COULDN'T ACCELERATE OR BRAKE - HAD TO PAINFULLY PULL CAR OFF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. FORD DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TO NO AVAIL, AS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, I TURNED THE KEY OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN - THIS DESTROYED THE DATA. SEEMS LIKE A FUNDAMENTAL DATA SYSTEM FLAW. NONETHELESS, I DROVE AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN FEAR, ONLY TO HAVE THE INCIDENT RECUR SIX MONTHS LATER. NOW I AM DRIVING WITH A DATA FLIGHT RECORDER FOR A MERE TEN DAYS, THE BUTTON OF WHICH I MUST PUSH, IF AND WHEN THE CAR SHUTS DOWN AGAIN. WITHOUT RECORDED DATA, THOUGH FORD BELIEVES MY REPORT, I SEEM TO HAVE NO RECOURSE WITH FORD. I NOW AM DRIVING IN FEAR FOR MY OWN AND OTHERS' LIVES. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE? *TR